


if you keep making my heart flutter, what do i do with you?

by azunshi



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Compliant, First Kiss, M/M, Volleyball Dorks in Love, also there's a reference to hotarubi no mori e if you can spot it, there's a slight spoiler for ch 378 if you squint hard enough
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 12:28:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21969334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azunshi/pseuds/azunshi
Summary: Nishinoya hasn't taken a good look at Asahi in months so it's somewhat disorienting to see the long and wavy strands framing his face when he's so used to seeing Asahi's hair tied up. And it's not fair how ridiculously handsome he looks like that; a few heads turns his way, the crowd parting slightly for him. But the fact that his eyes land on no one except Nishinoya's brings his heart into a fluttering mess behind his ribcage.where Nishinoya gets stood up by a date but the night takes an interesting turn.
Relationships: Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu
Comments: 18
Kudos: 167





	if you keep making my heart flutter, what do i do with you?

**Author's Note:**

> i wanted to write a summer festival au so i made one but this is the cute and fluffy version :) i also wanted an excuse to put noya in a yukata so whee
> 
> title is taken from the lyrics to seventeen's [oh my!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5PELxP8Udg) which coincidentally comes from a summer-themed album (YOU MAKE MY DAY).

“I’m going on a date to the Star Festival with a cute girl from my class tonight!” Nishinoya crows from the doorway, his voice bouncing off the walls of the gymnasium. The low hum of his teammate’s conversations ceases as they turn their heads towards him. Shouyou is the first to break the silence, babbling his excitement for Nishinoya, before Kageyama begins to yell at him for being a moron. The others join in with comments of their own, starting with Ryu’s aggressively supportive speech to Tsukishima’s snarky remarks.

They return to practice afterwards, Coach Ukai not giving a damn shit about whether Nishinoya’s gotten a date or not, until late in the afternoon.

“So, a date, huh?"

Nishinoya turns to find Ryu smirking at him by the doorway of the storage room, a mop in his hand. He'd let his hair grow out after the previous third-years left so now he sported a blond undercut instead of a bald head. He had also gotten an eyebrow piercing, which made him seem even cooler.

“She’s super cute!” says Nishinoya as he and Ryu step out of the storage. “She asked me through LINE earlier.”

“Damn, man, you gotta give me the juicy details!"

Nishinoya laughs at Ryu's curiosity and shows him the text conversation he had with his classmate. Their conversation pauses as they get changed before heading to Sakanoshita for snacks. Preferably some cold snacks to beat the summer heat.

“I knew she was into me since school started this year,” says Nishinoya while fanning himself with his t-shirt, which does little to stop him from sweating. "Sometimes I catch her staring at me during classes and stuff and she always asks if I brought my lunch that day or if I did my homework. You know how girls are when they’re into someone.”

Ryu gives him an incredulous look. "Dude, how long has this been going on?" he asks. Nishinoya gives him a rough estimate of a week and Ryu shakes his head. "Bro, and you didn't you tell me anything about that?"

"To be fair, I had my mind on something else for awhile."

"You mean _someone_ ," corrects Ryu with a twinkle in his eye.

Nishinoya knows damn well who he's implying and tries to punch Ryu for it. Sadly, Ryu backs away from it, his teeth flashing into a cheeky grin. If it wasn't for the heat that turned Nishinoya's cheeks red, Ryu would've been able to tell right away he was embarrassed.

"Look, _you_ were sad about the third-years leaving too!"

"Yeah, but I wasn't the one who cried into Kiyoko's shoulder in front of her parents."

"Well, at least now you know I won't be marrying her anytime soon.” Nishinoya sighs dramatically, clutching his chest. "One less suitor out of the way!"

"Oh, don't be like that!" Ryu laughs, punching his arm.

The two of them enter Sakanoshita, unsurprised to find some of their teammates loitering in the store for the air-conditioning. Coach Ukai is nowhere to be seen—probably had some errands to run after practice—so Nishinoya and Ryu pay for their snacks to Ukai's mother at the register before leaving.

"Anyway," begins Ryu as he tears a popsicle wrapper open with his teeth, "you been keeping in touch with the Daichi-san and the others?”

Nishinoya shakes his head. Since the previous third-years graduated, he hasn't heard much apart from how they were adjusting to university and the responsibilities that came along with it. At first, they almost always texted back within a day but now, it took between a couple of days to a week for a reply. Nishinoya assumed university life must be so hectic that they barely have time to text back. So he stopped texting them altogether.

Even Asahi. ****

The thought of him stirs a little pang in Nishinoya's chest. Though he'd rather chop off his own foot than admit it, he missed Asahi _a little_ more than he missed the others. Sure, Asahi was just as nice as the others. But it was just something about the way he’d never fail to stop whatever he was doing or make time for Nishinoya whenever the younger boy wanted to talk to him. And the smile he often wore reminded Nishinoya of gentle sunlight. Warm and welcoming.

Which was why it was so hard for Nishinoya to text Asahi. He couldn’t see Asahi’s face beyond the bubbles of text that appeared on his phone screen. He was too embarrassed to ask for a video call too; after all, they weren’t really _that_ close. He doubts Asahi considers him anything other than his teammate and his _kouhai_. Nishinoya doesn’t expect him to either.

Ryu takes Nishinoya's silence as a cue to change the topic. He goes on about essential tips Nishinoya needs to know, which Nishinoya finds funny in a detached way, considering he hasn't had a successful date. But he's grateful that his best friend is looking out for him and that all this talk about the best way to 'hold your lady's hand' takes his mind off whatever thoughts of Asahi that might creep back into his mind.

* * *

**Classmate:** I'm wearing a yukata later. Can you wear one too so we'd match?  
  


Nishinoya reads the text again while gently stirring his ramen in the pot with some chopsticks. A thoughtful frown pinches his eyebrows together.After turning the stove off, Nishinoya pours his ramen in a bowl and takes a seat at the counter.

Isn’t his classmate’s request something couples would do? And wasn’t this _just_ a date? Apart from her face and how she approaches Nishinoya almost every day this year, he doesn’t know her _that_ well.

While he isn’t going to say no to a lady, he’s also hesitant to say yes to her. His frown deepens. He knows his _yukata_ is somewhere within the recesses of his closet but he hasn’t worn it since middle school. A long period of 3 years, to be exact. He wonders if he can still fit in it—well, not that he has grown vertically since middle school.

To no surprise and a little disappointment, the _yukata_ fits Nishinoya like a glove. It was a slight challenge to put it on since he was used to his mother helping him out. He had to refer to videos on the internet because he forgot how to wear it, but after a couple of mistakes, he managed to appear presentable.

Held in place by an earth brown obi, yukata is a gentle shade of beige, patterned with komainu, or lion dogs, on the fabric. Nishinoya twists from side to side, idly wondering if the pattern makes him look childish. Most guys his age would go for dark solid colors or simple designs.

He snaps a quick picture and sends it to Ryu for approval.

**Ryu:** are you sure she’s not your secret girlfriend or something? (¬_¬)  
  
**Nishinoya:** i swear she isnt!!  
  
**Ryu:** (¬_¬)  
  
**Nishinoya:** dont gimme that kaomoji  
  
**Nishinoya:** dude, would you say no if a nice girl asks you to match because she’s wearing a yukata too?  
  
**Ryu:** well  
  
**Ryu:** no  
  
**Nishinoya:** see?? (ಠ ∩ಠ)  
  
**Ryu:** but i wouldnt be too quick to say yes too  
  
**Ryu:** arent matching yukatas a couple's kind of thing?  
  
**Nishinoya:** exactly! idk her asking me to match makes me go :/ tbh  
  
**Ryu:** well she must like you a whole lot!  
  
**Ryu:** and she seems very obvious about it too. reminds me of someone i know ... ¬‿¬  
  
**Nishinoya:** t(=n=)  
  
**Ryu:** so i think you two would make a great match ;)   
  


Nishinoya rolls his eyes but he can’t help feeling like what Ryu said about them being similar to each other is a recipe for disaster. After all, his mother did tell him once that the reason she and his dad divorced was because they were too much like each other.

Nishinoya shakes his head. No, tonight is about his date. His first Tanabata festival date. Think positive thoughts. And think about how this is a casual date, how he’ll get to know his classmate, how it’s ok if he doesn’t get a second date.

With a determined nod, he takes one good look at himself in the mirror; from his hair which he decided to let down instead of its usual style, to his resolute expression, his yukata down to his toes. Everything is fine.

All he needs is to find a cloth pouch to put his stuff in and sandals.

* * *

Nishinoya will not slouch. He will not feel silly about forgetting to charge his phone before he came here. He will also not feel silly about the fact that he’s probably getting stood up by his date.

He’s certain the spot he’s standing at, which is the east entrance of the shrine, is their meeting point. He’s also certain it’s probably way past 7 o’ clock which is the time they agreed to meet up.

With a sigh, he sinks down on the bench behind him and assumes what he hopes is a patient look on his face. He tries not to think too much about how he feels, about how disappointed he is in his classmate and stupid of him to brag to his teammates and how pitiful he must look to the passersby.

He gives himself five minutes. Five more minutes to wait before he makes up his mind to either go home or stick around for the fireworks. But five minutes feels too long.

He's about to leave when, from the corner of his eye, he spots someone familiar among the crowd. He does a double take, eyes widening. His body goes rigid as he stands there like a deer in the headlights.

His luck can't be worser than it is tonight.

When Asahi, standing there by a food stall, finally looks his way, looks his way the world around Nishinoya seems to fade into static noise. His muscles twitch but he doesn't move, caught in the moment of indecisiveness. Should he get up and say hi to Asahi or pretend he never saw him?

As Asahi's friend, it would be rude of Nishinoya to do the latter, even if it meant that, if asked why he was here, he'd also have to lie about it. And it would suck really bad because he hated lying to Asahi. It's like committing the worst crime ever.

Fortunately, Nishinoya isn't the one who has to make the decision because Asahi makes his way over.

Now, Nishinoya hasn't taken a good look at Asahi in months so it's somewhat disorienting to see the long and wavy strands framing his face when he's so used to seeing Asahi's hair tied up. And it's not fair how ridiculously handsome he looks like that; a few heads turns his way, the crowd parting slightly for him. But the fact that his eyes land on no one except Nishinoya's brings his heart into a fluttering mess behind his ribcage.

Asahi's smile is warm, and so is his tone when he greets Nishinoya.

Nishinoya finds his voice; he also realizes he had his mouth open the whole time. "Asahi-san, it's been so long!" he exclaims, leaping from his seat. The sounds of music and people swim back, though with a distant and muted quality. "How are you? How's the whole uni thing?"

"Well, it's been a tough first semester for me but I suppose I'll manage," says Asahi with his characteristic self-deprecating laugh.

"Of course you will, Asahi-san! Because I believe in you!"

Asahi laughs once more but with amusement this time. "It's good to see that you haven't changed."

"It's only been a few months," Nishinoya points out but lets Asahi's comment slide. "Are you here with Daichi-san and Suga-san?" he asks, standing on his tiptoes to see past Asahi's shoulder at the stall where he came from.

Asahi shakes his head. "They decided to stick around in Sendai for the summer. Said they wanted to attend the Tanabata celebrations there. As a couple and stuff,” he says.

Though their feelings towards each other were as clear as day, neither Daichi nor Suga made the move towards each other until after they graduated high school. As far as Nishinoya knew, they were dating each other and it's good to hear that they're still together. He smiles, genuinely happy for his seniors.

"If you don't mind me asking," Asahi begins, "are you here with someone?" Nishinoya's discomfort must show on his face because Asahi immediately apologizes. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to —"

"Eh, it's fine," says Nishinoya, the nonchalance in his tone surprising him. "I sorta accepted the fact that I got stood up by my date. Heck, I'm even wearing a yukata—" He gestures at his attire. "Anyway, I'm not disappointed," he adds. _Because you're here_ , says a tiny voice in Nishinoya's head. Heat travels to his cheeks as he looks away, hoping Asahi hasn't developed telepathic abilities in the past few months.

"Ah, I see." Asahi pauses, scratching the back of his neck. "I didn't answer your question earlier: I'm here with my cousins but I lost them a few minutes ago."

"What? And they can't find a big guy like you?" Nishinoya stands on his tiptoes, scanning the crowd nearby for Asahi's cousins before he remembers he has no idea what they look like. He frowns. "Wait, can you text them or something?"

"It's fine," says Asahi dismissively. "Anyway, I'm not really close with them and it's a little awkward hanging out with them." He blushes and looks away, guilty.

Nishinoya makes some noise of understanding and gives Asahi's shoulder a reassuring squeeze; he doesn't even know why he felt the need to do the latter but perhaps deep down, he wanted to know he wasn't dreaming this up. That he's seeing Asahi in real life, warm and solid under his touch. He lets go of Asahi with a shaky smile.

Asahi gives him a curious side-eyed glance. "Anyway, do you want to ... hang out for a bit?" he asks, with a strange shyness in his expression. "Until we find my cousins. If that's okay —"

"Yeah, of course it's okay!" Nishinoya is inwardly embarrassed by how fast and how eagerly he leaps to the offer. But Asahi laughs, a rich and deep sound, and Nishinoya relaxes into a grin.

They start at the shrine where Nishinoya collects some _tanzaku_ , strips of colored paper, to write wishes on. “Have you made your wishes yet?” he asks Asahi, who is waiting for him next to an occupied desk for people to sit and write their wishes.

“Yeah.”

“What did you wish for?” Nishinoya grabs a seat and puts his paper down. He borrows a pen and looks at the colors he picked. Red for his mother and grandfather, yellow for his friends and, as an afterthought, purple for his grades. After all, this was his last year in school. He avoided the white one, since that one’s for following rules and stuff, which sounds like a pretty boring way to spend a wish. He didn’t take the blue one either, but that’s ok because he didn’t need to wish for things for himself.

“Oh, the usual.” Asahi sits besides him. He’s close enough that Nishinoya can catch the faint scent of lavender soap. Nishinoya tunes out the beating pulse in his ears to listen to Asahi. “I wished for good grades, for my parents to be healthy, and so I don’t mess up my friendships with people —“

“No romance?” Nishinoya asks teasingly. Asahi’s cheeks flush red as he looks away from him. “Hey, it’s alright! We all need a bit of love sometimes,” Nishinoya laughs, nudging Asahi with his elbow. He scribbles his wishes for his family first. “So, who’s the person you’ve got your eye on? Someone pretty from your uni?”

Asahi shakes his head. “Someone from town, actually.”

“Ooh, do tell.”

Asahi shakes his head, looking away again. This time, his ears also go red. Nishinoya chuckles as he crams a long list of wishes for his friends; it’s probably cheating but it’s better than wasting paper. “Alright, if you want to be mysterious, go right ahead,” says Nishinoya, amused.

“I’m not trying to be mysterious—“ Asahi breaks off with an exaggerated sigh. “Oh, whatever. If you want me to be less mysterious, it’s someone from school.”

“That doesn’t count,” says Nishinoya as he finishes scribbling his wish on the last _tanzaku_ , the purple one. _Just don’t let me fail high school_ , he writes _._ “That’s like … removing a little bit of hay from a haystack just to ‘make finding the needle easier.’”

“Well, you could try giving me a list of names and I’ll confirm if I like them or not.”

Nishinoya grins at him. “You know it’s kind of hot when you’re sassy like that.” This comment causes Asahi to splutter incredulously and turn beet red. “Ladies love a man who has a way with words,” he adds as Asahi groans and hides his face behind his hands. “Be right back. I need to hang these babies on the bamboo.”

In the end, Asahi joins him to help him hang his wishes up, since he’s more blessed in the height department. “Just a little higher … Ok, that’s good!” Nishinoya watches as Asahi secures his wishes on a bamboo stalk that shoots higher than the rest. He isn’t superstitious but the higher the wish is placed on the bamboo, the better chances he has for whoever it is up there to grant his wishes. “Thanks, Asahi-san!”

“No worries.”

They leave the shrine grounds to join the festivities next door.

A riot of colorful decorations strung on lines flutter in the night breeze. Stall owners call them to come and inspect their wares, which range from handmade fans to cartoon masks, or play traditional Japanese games. Long lines snake from food stalls serving all kinds of delicious fried goodies. Younger children dart between the crowds, squealing with laughter, while the older ones flock from stall to stall, their wallets growing lighter with each visit. A number of people, some adults but mostly teenagers, promenade around in their best _yukata_.

Nishinoya takes it all in with wide eyes; no matter how many times he has attended the Tanabata celebrations, it never ceases to fill him with wonder. “Ah, there’s so many things to see!” he exclaims, head whipping around. “Hang on, which stalls did you go to already?”

Asahi raises his eyebrows at him. “That wouldn’t be fair to you since you haven’t visited them.”

“But I don’t want you to get bored,” Nishinoya replies.

Asahi’s expression softens. “I could never be bored when I’m with you,” he says in a low voice but the words ring loudly in Nishinoya’s ears.

Caught off guard, Nishinoya stares at him for a few moments, eyes locked with Asahi’s warm, brown ones. Then he snorts, turning away but not before his cheeks heat up. _What is this?_ he thinks, suddenly aware of the nervous fluttering of his heartbeat. “Jeez, don’t drop stuff on me like that.” He punches Asahi, not too hard to bruise but enough to snap Asahi out of … whatever _that_ was.

Asahi doesn’t seem to mind it, though he does pretend to be wounded by it. “Fine, let me get you a popsicle to make up for it,” he offers.

Nishinoya waves his hand dismissively. “Nah, it’s cool.” But Asahi gets them popsicles anyway.

They walk around the place, basking in the festive atmosphere while they catch up with each other’s lives. Nishinoya learns that Asahi’s taking a fashion design course, which is something he never thought Asahi would do. That, and Asahi plays on the university team.

“Damn, so like, you’re playing on the same side as Oikawa? What’s it like?” Nishinoya asks, genuinely curious. The last few times he played against Aoba Johsai, his impression of the former setter was that he’s a stuck-up pretty boy with a penchant for picking fights with Kageyama. To his surprise, Asahi says Oikawa is pretty chill, if not a little dramatic at times. As a teammate, he’s very reliable even in a pinch.

“How are things at Karasuno?”

Nishinoya shrugs. The first few weeks without Asahi was painful; Nishinoya often forgot that Asahi wasn’t on the team anymore so whenever he did a spectacular save, he’d look around the court and Asahi’s absence would hit him like a ton of bricks. It was embarrassing, really, how much he’d call Asahi’s name only to remember at the last moment that he’s no longer playing with them. “Great!” answers Nishinoya. “I think we made it past semi-finals in the Interhigh. We’re aiming for Nationals for the Spring Tournament.”

Afterwards, they try out a few games. Nishinoya’s awful at goldfish scooping and Asahi has terrible aim in the shooting games. They agree that the Senbonhiki, a game where you have to pull a string that may or may not be attached to a prize inside a big box, is a legalized scam so they avoid it like the plague. Nishinoya manages to win a prize at ring toss, earning a pair of crow plushie keyrings.

“Here, you keep this one,” he says, plopping one of them in Asahi’s hands, while he keeps the other tucked under his arms.

“Ah, thank you,” says Asahi, despite having protested against keeping one of them. “What are you going to name yours?” he asks.

“Probably Mr Tubs or something,” says Nishinoya and Asahi laughs at him. “What? Tell me the name isn’t round and cute like him!”

* * *

“And from then onwards, on the 7th day of the 7th month, Hikoboshi and Orihime crossed the Milky Way over the bridge of magpies to spend a night with each other. The end,” finished the old lady who was reciting the story of Tanabata while little puppets enacted the scenes in the box behind her. The audience claps as the lady and the puppeteer, who emerges from the box, bow their heads.

“No matter how many times I hear this story,” begins Nishinoya as he and Asahi rise from their seats, “I’ll never get over what a jerk Orihime’s dad was.”

“Well, yeah, to be honest, his sentence is pretty cruel,” Asahi agrees.

“I mean, what kind of dad lets his daughter and son-in-law meet once every year?” Nishinoya scoffs. “If I were Orihime, I’d tell him to stick my weaving thingy up his —“

“Careful now,” chides Asahi but his tone quavers a little with laughter, “otherwise the gods won’t take your rants too kindly.”

“Orihime’s dad is an old fart and they should know that,” says Nishinoya anyway. He reaches to secure his kitsune mask on his head; Asahi has another one, but his is an Oni mask.

The night is going far better than Nishinoya expected. If someone told him two hours ago that he’d feel like he was having the best night of his life, he would’ve laughed in their face. He and Asahi tried almost all the games before moving onto the food. The yakisoba was the best, Nishinoya thought, but he also liked the taiyaki from the stall Asahi suggested to him. They even bumped into a few of their friends from school; in the midst of being excited to see Asahi again, nobody asked about the whereabouts of Nishinoya’s date. They do not find Asahi’s cousins even though they’ve covered most of the compound where the festival is held. When Nishinoya mentions it, Asahi shrugs and tells him not to worry.

Hanging out with Asahi tonight gave him a newfound appreciation for him and the time they spent together. Nishinoya had once thought Asahi was a contemplative and reserved kind of guy who probably wasn’t fun to hang out with outside of school but tonight proved his former impression wrong. Asahi knew how to have fun; it was just that he’s laid-back and chill about it. The complete opposite to Nishinoya, who feels the need to jump around and whoop at the top of his lungs. Despite the difference, they balanced each other out perfectly.

It’s Asahi who asks him if he wants to see the fireworks. “I know a great spot that’s not very crowded,” he adds as if that’ll sweeten the deal, except Nishinoya is already on it.

“Yeah?” Nishinoya’s eyes light up eagerly. He jumps to his feet from the bench they were sitting on. “Well, lead the way, Asahi-san!”

Asahi laughs and does as Nishinoya says. He leads them through the thronging crowd gathering in the area for the main fireworks show. Nishinoya presses him as close as possible, for he isn’t too keen on losing him. At one point, he holds onto Asahi’s wrist. Asahi doesn’t say anything about it.

“Hey, are we going the right way?” Nishinoya asks when they’ve left the compound, taking a path that snakes away from the festival grounds. Unease fills him as he sees where the path is going. “Why are we going into the woods?” he asks, his question loud over the hum of night insects.

“Trust me on this,” says Asahi.

Nishinoya bites back a grunt of impatience and quickens his pace. Asahi uses the flashlight mode on his phone to light the way for them. The beaten dirt path they take gradually slopes upwards with a gentle incline. Eventually, they arrive at the end of it, which is the top of a small hill overlooking the shrine and festival below. If Nishinoya listens hard enough, he can catch the faint strains of music from the festival below.

"When you said ‘it’s not very crowded,’” says Nishinoya, plopping down on the grass, “that was an understatement.”

There’s enough light to make out the apologetic smile on Asahi’s face. “It's a spot where me and my friends sometimes come to watch the fireworks when it's too crowded downstairs. I found it a few years back when I was in middle school."

“I’m surprised no one else found this place, though.”

“Well, sometimes we do get a couple or two here," Asahi adds.

Nishinoya is about to ask him what he means by that when it dawns on him. The spot Asahi’s taken them to is a romantic spot for couples to hang out and stuff. He’s glad it’s dark enough that Asahi doesn’t catch the flustered look on his face. Surely, there won’t be any couples tonight, right? He looks around. It’d be pretty awkward if they had to sit near a couple who decided to make out or something while the fireworks went on. He makes a mental note to let Asahi know he’d like to flee if some random couple comes here.

“So.” Nishinoya turns to Asahi.

“So.” Asahi does the same as him. They stare at each other, serious-faced, before Nishinoya has to look away, shoulders shaking with laughter. “Hey, what’s so funny?”

“Nothing.” Nishinoya purses his lips to hold his laughs in. Perhaps it’s because he’s nervous being all alone with Asahi or that he never imagined, in a million years, that he’d be here at a romantic spot with Asahi, whom he’s very certain sees him as a friend.

Distant pinpricks of light wink at them from the night sky. A waning crescent moon regards them like the eye of a sleepy person. A night breeze blows balmy air, lifting strands of Nishinoya’s hair away from his face. The distant strain of festival music seems to harmonize with the symphony of the humming night insects.

“Asahi-san?”

“Hm?”

“Thanks for … keeping me company tonight.” Nishinoya’s glad it’s too dark for Asahi to see that he’s blushing. “I really appreciate it.”

“Oh, that’s alright,” says Asahi.

“I was considering going home, y’know, if my date didn’t show up in five minutes,” admits Nishinoya with an embarrassed chuckle. “I think I waited there for like almost an hour?”

“Almost an hour?” echoes Asahi, surprised. “Didn’t you text her to see if she was coming or not?”

“I thought I told you my phone died on me.”

“Oh yeah.” Asahi’s eyebrows pinch together into a frown. He appears so irritated by the whole premise, that Nishinoya almost tells him that it’s ok and that something important probably came up, when he says, “I can’t believe anyone would stand you up like that.”

Nishinoya blinks. “It’s fine. I didn’t know her that well —“

“No, it’s _not_ fine,” Asahi cuts him off, his deep voice firm. “You don't deserve that, to be kept waiting for someone who won't come to meet you. You deserve someone who'd give you the world."

Nishinoya stares at him, taken aback. The last time he'd heard Asahi sound this worked up, it was during their fight after the Dateko match.

"You’re an amazing person, Noya, you really are. And you’re kind, and selfless, and you care so much for your friends. Oh, and you’re very supportive, you know that? You know the right things to say to make someone feel better about themselves. You get incredibly passionate about the things you love. It’s like you throw your whole heart into it without even getting scared it might break —”

“Whoa, Asahi,” says Nishinoya, flustered enough that he forgets to use the honorifics. “P-please, you’re — Ah! I don’t know how to respond to all these compliments.”

“They’re facts,” says Asahi earnestly.

“I-I —“ Nishinoya shakes his head. His heart is racing so much that it feels like it might burst his chest so much. How could Asahi sing so much praise about him when Nishinoya is the way he is? "Asahi-san, please don’t say things like that,” he says in a low voice.

Asahi’s mouth falls open slightly. “Nishinoya —“

“I know you’re trying to be kind to me, and I appreciate that, but I don’t think I’m even half of what you said.” Nishinoya laughs mirthlessly, raking a hand through his hair. It’s been awhile since he’s felt this self-conscious about himself. That and this vulnerable. He trusts Asahi, no doubt, but the things he said about Nishinoya can’t possibly be entirely true. He’s been told time and time again that the words he say can be sharp without himself being aware of it. He knows there are instances when he can be unreasonably selfish, like that time when he refused to return to the club unless Asahi was there. These two aspects of himself made him inconsiderate to other people’s feelings, didn’t they? Him being passionate meant he tended to be annoying to others sometimes, and how could Asahi say he throws his whole heart into things without fearing it could break?

“I didn't say all that stuff for you to feel better or to be kind to you," says Asahi. "I said them because that's how I —" He breaks off, and for a moment Nishinoya wonders if he thinks he's said too much, when he squares his shoulder and fixes Nishinoya with a resolute gaze. "It's how _I_ see you. How _I_ think of you."

Nishinoya stares at him, speechless. He opens his mouth to say something, to say anything, when a sharp whistle pierces the air. He turns in time to see a streak of light shoot into the sky and explode in a shower of sparks. It dawns on him, realization washing over him the way his skin is bathed in the colors from the fireworks.

Everything made sense now. It made sense why Asahi was more than willing to do whatever Nishinoya wanted to do; how he snuck glances at Nishinoya when he thought he wouldn't be noticed; the way his face would light up whenever Nishinoya looked in his direction. And there were signs within himself too. Like the way he gets all happy and excited to see Asahi, and how he can't help his eyes from roaming over to meet Asahi's steady brown ones, and how his thoughts never seemed to stop running towards Asahi when he graduated. How couldn't he have noticed it all sooner?

"Asahi-san." Nishinoya forces back a sudden wave of nervousness. “Is it me? That person you like?”

The smile Asahi is sweet, like the strawberry syrup drizzled over the shaved ice they had at the festival, crinkling the corners of his eyes. It makes his heart skip a beat, his chest to ache with a dull yet fierce longing, and every muscle in his body to crave for him.

Asahi likes him. Not as a teammate or as a friend. He likes him in the like like kind of way. Nishinoya pinches himself; the sharp spike of pain on the back of his hand tells him he isn’t dreaming this at all.

“It's okay if you don't feel the same way I do,” says Asahi, turning away.

The silence between them is interrupted by another fireworks explosion.

"Don't say it like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you're okay with me breaking your heart and walking all over the pieces." Nishinoya's voice is shaking and he's certain he's about to cry from the way the backs of his eyes hurt. He blinks away from Asahi, hand pulling his fox mask over to hide his face. He squeezes his eyes shut to fight back the tears. Tears of disbelief and happiness. He doesn't see Asahi shift closer to him, is unprepared for gentle callused fingers tilting his chin upwards, and is stunned when Asahi leans forwards to kiss him the same time the fireworks explode.

This moment would've been perfect if he didn't have the stupid mask between his lips and Asahi's.

When Asahi pulls back, eyes fluttering open, Nishinoya whispers something. "Hm?" Asahi frowns.

"You coward," says Nishinoya louder. He yanks the mask off his face, the elastic band snapping the back of his head; he barely feels the sting of it. "You're supposed to do it like this," he says, hands cupping Asahi's cheeks, as he closes the distance between their lips. The surprised noise Asahi makes is drowned out by a booming noise. Whether it's the fireworks or Nishinoya's pulse in his ears, he doesn't care because Asahi’s mouth is soft, warm and pliant against his. And he’s actually kissing Nishinoya back, the sensation of his lips on Nishinoya's melting the younger boy all the way down to his bones. A soft moan slips out of Asahi when Nishinoya's hands finds his hair.

Detachedly, Nishinoya thinks how this situation feels like a scene right out of a teen romance movie, the kind he would watch because he was a lonely loser who wanted some love. There’s Asahi, who has loved him for a long time, and himself, who wasn’t aware of his own feelings towards him until tonight. And they’re kissing while fireworks explode in the night sky at some couple’s spot alone together.

At some point, the fireworks show ends and the both of them realize they’ve literally made out through the entirety of it. Asahi has his face buried in his hands and Nishinoya is laughing from giddy disbelief.

“I hope you realize you’ve set the bar really high on first kisses,” says Nishinoya when they make their way down the hill, hand in hand. “Nothing will _ever_ top what you did. Like ever.”

A flustered noise escapes from Asahi. “Well, I’m happy you liked it.”

“LIked it?? Asahi-san, I _loved_ it. It was just so perfect I just want to kiss you again!” The moment he finishes his sentence, Asahi stops in his tracks. Before Nishinoya can ask what’s wrong, he leans down to kiss him. Nishinoya almost whines when he pulls back and continues to walk as if nothing happened. If he keeps this up, Nishinoya is certain his heart won’t be able to handle it.

When they reach Nishinoya’s street, their pace slows to an eventual stop in front of Nishinoya’s house. But they stand there, their hands still intertwined, as if neither of them wants to let go. Nishinoya looks up at Asahi, managing a small smile. “I guess this is it,” he says with a twinge of sadness.

Asahi nods, solemn. He raises their interlocked hands and brushes his lips over Nishinoya’s knuckles; there’s something old-fashioned and romantic about the gesture that makes Nishinoya’s heart flutter. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Nishinoya stares at him. “Wait, are you asking me out?”

In the yellow glow of the streetlamp, Asahi’s blush is endearingly obvious. “Well, I feel like I should’ve done it the _proper_ way. You know, asking you to a few dates before I confess and then maybe I’d —“

“I hope you know this is the 21st century and not, like I dunno, your grandma’s time, right?” says Nishinoya in a mock serious way. Asahi makes an embarrassed noise, prompting him to squeeze him into a big hug. “Yeah, sure. I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Asahi.”

“Goodnight, Noya.”

**Author's Note:**

> if any of you wanted to have an idea of what noya's yukata actually looked like, it's from [this](https://s1.tsuki-board.net/pics/figure/large/596501.jpg?r=1499653928) official art.
> 
> thank you so much for reading ♥  
> [[twitter]](https://twitter.com/azunshi)  
> [[tumblr]](https://avatarclub.tumblr.com)


End file.
